"Considering their education and skill level, Australian tradesmen are very well paid. It's at the point where it is cheaper for householders to do repairs or renovations themselves."
There lies the problem - a fair chunk of the population is now either too incompetent or lazy to do it themselves. How many call in a plumber these days just to change a tap washer? Reality is allot of things can be done by owners themselves if they have half a brain to work things out and or are willing to read how to do it. You can save allot of money, and you can get allot of satisfaction from doing it yourself.
There are many ways to save money building as well get the basic structure built then do the rest yourself over a little bit of time while you are living in the house. Will save you rent money, and interest. Sure it will take you longer to get a finished home but the savings will really add up.
